Cristina Ramirez
Founder & Artistic Director
Cristina is the passionate Founder and Artistic Director of Coalesce Center for Dance Artistry, a dance studio known for nurturing talent, creativity, and personal growth. Her love for dance began at a young age and led to a scholarship to DeSales University, where she earned a BA in Dance and a minor in Italian. She trained under Timothy Cowart, Camille Armstrong, Tara Madsen Robbins, and Trinette Singleton. Cristina is a certified Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) instructor and former member of the Lady Hoofers, Philadelphia’s all-female professional tap company.
Cristina is committed to helping young dancers discover their potential, build confidence, and reach their goals—both in dance and in life. Under her leadership, Coalesce Center for Dance Artistry has flourished, creating a community where students are given the tools to grow. As the studio enters its 8th season, Cristina continues to lead with passion, vision, and a belief in the power of dance to inspire and transform.
Donna Heffner
2024-2025 Instructor
Donna Heffner is a tap dancer from the suburbs of Philadelphia Pa. She grew up tap dancing as well as other styles but quickly knew tap was her passion. She started teaching students and adults in and around Philadelphia for the last 18 years, and started a tap company 5 years ago for Adults. Her company Buck and Wing Tap is open to any adult tap dancer who wishes to perform. They have performed in PA, NJ and NYC.
Donna’s technical and professional training includes learning from some of the biggest names and masters in Tap.She spent a week with Heather Cornell in NY at her tap labs, and took one of her EddieBrown workshops, as well as master classes.In 2022 Donna attended a week long study for tap choreographers with Karida Griffith inPortland, and completed a Tap teacher training course.Donna has also studied tap at University of the Arts in Philadelphia with Corinne Karonand Robert Burden. She’s been to numerous tap festivals, conventions, and taken classes at Broadways Dance Center NYC and Steps on Broadway.
Her performances in tap have taken her to NYC, Washington DC, Philadelphia and NJ.
She is a long time member of Uniting Colleges Through Tap in Philadelphia. She is also a prize winner level Irish dancer.When not teaching or doing choreography she is also an adjudicator for 2 dance competitions on the East coast.Donna is also one of the few remaining toe tap dancers in the world
Brittany Hercik is a graduate of DeSales University with a B.A. in Dance and TV/Film. She also holds certification through Dance Masters of America Teachers Training School. During her time in college, Brittany served as President of the DeSales University Dance Team along with teaching for the school’s Conservatory of Dance. She also interned at Pentacle, a non-profit dance organization in NYC during her junior and senior year of college. She has performed in many dance concerts and showcases getting the opportunity to recreate work from Charles Weidman, work with the New Street Dance Group, and Natalie Desch, a former Limon Dance Company and Doug Varone member to name a few. Other performance experiences include the American Dance College Festival Association, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the Dance New Amsterdam College Exchange Program and numerous other performances throughout the area. Her choreography has been seen at DeSales University, McConnellsburg High School, countless dance on camera productions and many dance competitions. Brittany is currently on the dance faculty at Arts Academy Charter Middle School in Allentown, PA and also runs the En L’Airs Dance Team after school. Brittany is thrilled to share her passion for dance with others and looks forward to what the future holds.
Brittany Hercik
Guest Company Choreographer
Adrianna Poindexter
2025-2026 Instructor + Company Choreographer
Adrianna Poindexter is a Philadelphia-based dancer, and Emmy award-winning choreographer and producer. She earned a BA in Dance Performance with a Theatre Performance minor from Stockton University, and also received training from Philadanco’s Summer Programs and Instruction & Training Program. Some of her performance credits include THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK, MJ LIVE, LEGENDS IN CONCERT, and dancing as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers Dance Team. Adrianna has choreographed and produced multiple shows as part of the PHILLY FRINGE FESTIVAL, as well as cabaret shows and concept videos. In 2021, she choreographed, directed and co-produced a concept video entitled OTHERED. for THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER’S WILDEST DREAMS series. In 2022, she had the honor of winning a Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy for a video composite that featured OTHERED.Adrianna’s mission is to connect with audiences by creating works that document the human experience.
Genene Wallis-McGrath is originally from Philadelphia, PA and has a BA in dance from Point Park University. She has fifteen years of concert dance experience working with companies such as Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, Met Dance and Houston Contemporary Dance Company where she was a founding member. During this time she had the opportunity of premiering works by Jack Wolff, Autumn Eckman, Margot Gelber, Rosie Herrera, Jessica Hendricks, Kiesha Lalama, Kiki Lucas, Robbie Moore, Igal Perry, Joshua L. Peugh, Katarzyna Skarpetowska, and Mario Zambrano. In addition to world-premieres she has also performed repertoire works from Peter Chu, Joe Celej, Kyle Abraham, Camille A. Brown, Caleb Mitchell, Dwight Rhoden and Andrea Dawn Shelley. Touring opportunities include: performing on Inside/Out Stage at Jacob’s Pillow, Green Box Arts Festival, Dallas Dance Fest, Austin Dance Festival, Spring to Dance (both with Met Dance and MCB,) Red Rock Dance Festival, and making her Houston Symphony debut in 2019. Genene has extensive teaching experience including having the role as Studio and Education Director at the Institute of Contemporary Dance for five years. She has also worked for the world winning team Dance Dynamics from Spring, Texas.
Genene Wallis-McGrath
2025-2026 Instructor + Company Choreographer
Kimberly O'Grady
2025-2026 Substitute
Kimberly O'GradyKimberly has been dancing for over thirty years, where she's trained in both studio and competitive settings. She studied under Jane Lopton, Kristine Izak, Leah Melling DeCesare and Johanna Wood. For several years, she was a First Company dancer and choreographer with The Lady Hoofers tap ensemble, Philadelphia's premier all-female tap company, under the guidance of Artistic Director, Kat Richter and Managing Director, Katie Budris, and was a part of the company's debut cast of "The Tapcracker", an all tap version of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker, set to music of both Duke Ellington and Tchaikovsky. Past performance credits include Tap Ties annual national tap dance day celebration at Ceder Crest College, the Performance Garage, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, "That Which Connects" Camden's festival of dance at Rutgers University, among others. Kimberly has had the pleasure of taking master classes with Jason Samuel Smith, Heather Cornell, Michele Dunleavy, Lola Sanchez, Karen Callaway Williams, Danny Gardner, among others. In the Spring of 2019, Kimberly debuted her choreography "Sound & Color", a duet she performed with tap dancer and mentor, Leah Melling DeCesare, at Tap Ties 14th Annual National Tap Dance Day Celebration at Ceder Crest College. Over the years, Kimberly has also taken several master classes with the Radio City Rockettes and the professional teaching staff at Broadway Dance Center. Ms. O'Grady attended DeSales University for two semesters where she performed in Crazy for You as Sheila/Socialite at the university's Act 1 Theatre program. She's also a certified vinyasa yoga instructor and a passionate cycling enthusiast.
Kimberly completed her BA in Mass Media Communication at LaSalle University in Philadelphia where she's had the privilege of working in television as a reporter, producer and anchor, earning two Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Award nominations for her reporting, received recognition from the Pennsylvania Associated Press and was awarded a bronze Telly Award in 2016 for her writing on a segment that aired on the Discovery Channel. Kimberly's television and film acting credits include FBI, Bull, the film 17 Bridges starring Sienna Miller and Chadwick Boseman as well as modeling for QVC. She and her husband are proud parents of their three children, Gabriel, Zofia and Vivian.
Mia Risoldi
2024-2025 Substitute
Mia Risoldi currently attends Point Park University, where she will graduate with a BFA in dance and a M.Ed. She is from Buckingham, Pennsylvania, and trained with Bucks County School of the Performing Arts as well as Princeton Ballet School. She had the opportunity to perform with American Repertory Ballet in The Nutcracker and in their 2022 and 2023 Gala. Mia has also had the privilege to study at Complexions Contemporary Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Rock School for Dance Education, and Koresh Dance Company through their summer intensives. While at Point Park University, Mia has performed in works directed by Jae Man Joo, Julia Erikson, Jimmy Gamonet de los Heros (Iliana Lopez), Daniel Karasik, Yoshiaki Nakano, and Susan Stowe.
Donna Marie Ahearn
2024-2025 Substitute
Donna began dancing at the age of 3 in North Jersey. Her training includes Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Lyrical, Tap, Musical Theater, and Acro.
At the age of 7, Donna joined a competitive dance team, where she expanded her training and discovered a passion for the arts. She has competed and won multiple regional and national competition titles and scholarships, both with her team and as a soloist.
Donna graduated from Morris County College with a degree in Early Childhood Education. After high school, she continued working with children as a preschool teacher while advancing her dance training in New York City, taking classes at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway. During this time, she also began auditioning and performing professionally for the NJ Nets and Pucci Productions, working as a motivational dancer for corporate events and private parties.
Throughout her career, Donna has continued to enrich her dance experience through choreographing, teaching, and performing in New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia.
After moving to South Jersey, Donna worked with Dance Arts Cherry Hill, where she managed the competition team for dancers ages 5–18 in jazz, tap, hip hop, and lyrical for 20 years.
She has received numerous awards and recognition for her choreography, technique, and outstanding performances. Her group choreography has been nominated for the Industry Dance Awards in categories such as Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, and Jazz. Many of her soloists have earned top honors, including overall high scores, scholarships, and both regional and national titles.
Donna’s choreography has also been performed at Lincoln Center in New York City and was selected for an audition on Paula Abdul’s dance show Live to Dance in 2011.
She has had the opportunity to perform for the 76ers, ABC Thanksgiving Day Parades, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Disney Dance Parades, Wawa Welcome America, and Six Flags Great Adventure.
As Donna continues to share her knowledge and passion for dance, she actively attends workshops and both online and in-person classes. In the 2024–2025 season, she will be joining Dance Masters of America to further her education. She is also participating in online programs such as Acrobatic Arts, where she will receive acrobatic training and certifications.
Donna is a judge for regional and national competitions and also teaches master classes and workshops.
During the dance season, she choreographs and teaches for studios in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, working with both recreational and competitive dancers.
Donna is passionate about teaching and choreographing for students of all ages. She hopes that every child she teaches leaves having learned something new—and feeling inspired to become the best version of themselves.